Boston Bruins rookie Phil Kessel said Saturday he's relieved that initial indications are that his testicular cancer hasn't spread, and he hopes to be back on skates in about two weeks.

The 19-year-old and the team held a news conference confirming officially that he underwent surgery Monday to remove his right testicle.

"I couldn't believe it," said Kessel, who had played two nights earlier despite knowing surgery was necessary. "It was tough. I had a hard time with it."

Dr. David Judge, a team internist, said the prognosis for Kessel was very favourable.

"We had some additional evaluations, some scans and some blood work, and all of that was very reassuring," Judge said. "It had not spread anywhere.

"It was very localized to the testicle. The outcome of all this is excellent and a very low likelihood of any recurrence."

A coveted prospect since the age of 16, Kessel left the University of Minnesota early after being selected fifth overall by the Bruins in the June entry draft.

Like most really young rookies he was experiencing some struggles at the NHL level, but nothing compared to what lay ahead.

"You become more a spokesperson with stuff like this," he said. "I had to deal with stuff that a lot of people had to deal with.

"If you're not feeling well go get checked out and make sure you're all right."

Kessel has five goals and four assists in 27 games this season.

with files from the Associated Press